A Weekend Away at Ardencote Manor Hotel and Spa

[Ad- gifted experience] I feel like the last stretch of school is so busy! Being working parents, most of our lives are actually quite busy between school runs, meetings at work, and after school clubs we just always have a lot going on. That’s why I was simply delighted to have a weekend away at Ardencote Manor Hotel and Spa! We actually went Sunday to Monday, so the two quietest days at the Spa, to really enjoy some relaxing, peaceful time together.

Ardencote Manor Hotel has a bunch of different packages to fit how you want to enjoy your stay. We chose a package with a morning spa session, afternoon treatment, lunch, dinner, hotel stay and breakfast the next morning, to really get the most out of our time away. Having the option to include a few set menu meals is quite fun, as you really don’t need to worry about finding a place to eat nearby and everything feels completely booked for you!

Ardencote Manor Hotel

Let’s start off with the hotel itself. The Ardencote Manor Hotel and spa itself is set on a golf course, where you can even pay for some golf lessons! There is also a squash court and a tennis court (you can get equipment from the front desk) if you like sports. The grounds otherwise have fountains, a lake and some beautiful flowers, making for a nice place to explore. The spa is in a separate building with it’s own entrance if you are just going to the spa, but there is an indoor connected corridor to walk from the spa to the hotel. Our room was one of the Courtyard rooms, giving us a big view of the golf course and grounds, which was lovely. It had everything you would expect, including a bathtub, and was well maintained. The hotel has it’s own indoor swimming pool, along with a steam sauna and a hot sauna, for guests to use!

Ardencote Manor Spa

When it comes to the additional spa, if you are looking for something a bit more than what they have to offer to guests of the hotel, you are in for a treat. Dann and I really love spas – they always feel so posh and you go home feeling so relaxed. As we both live a pretty stressful life, it’s just a great reset. At this spa, there were a few new features we had not seen before; namely a foot spa and a Himalayan salt sauna. We actually had this spa to ourselves for the majority of our stay, which was fantastic.

When it comes to saunas, there were a few options in the designated spa area. There was a dry indoor sauna which is very warm, where you sit on your towel for around 15 minutes and just take in the heat. The thermotherapy sauna on the other hand is a wet sauna, full of steam and a light mint smell, which is also extremely warm. This one had some seats that sort of spaced people out, which was very comfortable. The Himalayan salt sauna was really interesting, not as hot as a dry sauna but the salts were meant to infuse with the air to help fight infections and better your health. Outside (yes, there is an outside to this spa!) there was an even warmer dry sauna, if you want an intense heat.

Inside, there is a foot spa, that allows you to sit down (we kept sitting there with our drinks, as there was orange water and lemon water on offer to keep hydrated) and a tank fills up, bubbling your feet. It’s interesting! Dann’s favorite thing, the chipped ice area, was there – which is fantastic to use to switch between hot saunas, to cool off. If you don’t want to rub straight ice onto your face, you could also cool off with the monsoon shower, which has a cold rain setting and a warmer tropical setting.

Mentioning outside again, there was also a massive outdoor, heated pool right in the sunshine. Along with tons of loungers and a big hot tub, that could fit like 20 people. This hot tub was fantastic and the jets were perfect, I really enjoyed my time soaking in it. This spa also had a relaxation room, up some stairs, where there was a tea selection along with a bunch of chairs and magazines to lounge. Between the relaxation room and the main spa, there was also a heated lounge room, to get your body to the warm temperature used at the spa. Everything being so spread out meant that when it is busy, you still might not see other people unless they are interested in the exact things you are!

Skin Soothing Facial Treatment

Dann and I also booked a treatment at Ardencote Manor Hotel and Spa – being a facial. I have had a facial previously, but Dann had not, so that was exciting. If you have not had a facial before, it’s a safe start into your spa treatment experience. After filling out a little form on what I was looking to target with my skincare, I was taken into a room with the treatment table. You do need to sort of remove the top part of whatever top you are wearing, but then you are under a towel, for privacy. The facial I had was aimed at making my skin clear and glowing, as per my instructions. My therapist then came in, put on some soft music, and I closed my eyes and let them work. They put a bunch of different products on my face and shoulders, giving a lot of attention to around my nose and my general skin. I also got some serum put into my hair and had a scalp message too, which was really just fantastic. It’s such a great way to unwind. Dann had more of a focus on his shoulders and his bearded areas of his face, which he appreciated and enjoyed! I would get another treatment again in the future, it was so relaxing and my skin is still glowing days later.

Food at Ardencote Manor Hotel

As mentioned, our stay included three meals; light lunch, two course dinner and breakfast. We had our lunch first, which had a set menu with a bunch of options. As Dann and I have basically the same taste in food, we got the same main, which was sliced gotcha marinated lamb shoulder with kimchi, pomegranate and a chili dressing. I was tempted by the charred herb marinated chicken with red pesto orzo, but Dann convinced me after the lamb. The lamb was very pleasantly spiced and it fell apart at the touch of a fork. It wasn’t super filling, but there were optional sides that you could add on for an additional fee. I also got a cocktail to go with it (for an additional fee) – a tropical drink, that was super fruity and refreshing.

At dinner, Dann and I actually got different things to each other, which is always fun! We could get two courses; either dessert and main or starter and main. We went with dessert and main, as the starters didn’t stand out more than the dessert menu. Dann got a seabass fillet with a cream sauce and sanfire, which he absolutely loves. He said it was very well cooked and filling. I got the stuffed chicken, which had chorizo and cream cheese in it, on a bed of rainbow charred with roasted squash. In the middle of the table, they brought over some cabbage, leek and potatoes to share. My main had such a lovely sauce around it, which the potatoes tasted fantastic in. We also got some bread rolls to start while waiting for our mains. When it came to dessert, we both got the same thing; lemon posset with white chocolate shortbread cookies. This posset was perfectly set and tasted fantastic. There was also just tons of posset – it’s a great sized dessert. I also got a apple-tini cocktail, which tasted like an apple pie!

For breakfast, it was your usual hotel affair. We had a buffet that had everything for a full English, along with some breads, pastries, yoghurts, cereals and fruit salad. I am not a huge breakfast person, but had some bacon, tea, hashbrowns, mushrooms and fruit, which was nice.

We both really enjoyed our time at Ardencote Manor Hotel and Spa, and have actually started planning a stay later this year, with a few of our spa loving friends. The staff were fantastic and the facilities were well worth the trip – what a great way to relax!

You can check out our other Days Out to see what else we’ve been up too!